Campaigns

AMA Queensland supports and delivers numerous public health initiatives throughout the year to educate both the general pubic and health care practitioners.

These campaigns are developed according to the demand for information in the community acoss a broad range of public health and policy issues. Recent campaigns have included our acclaimed End of life care campaignwhich urges Queenslanders aged over 50 to take control of the rest of their lives and to talk to their GP about how they want to be treated and cared for at the end of their life.

For more information about AMA Queenslands's campaigns, please contact the Media and Communications Advisor on (07) 3872 2222 or email c.lesevre@amaq.com.au.

End of life care

AMA Queensland urged Queenslanders aged over 50 to take control of the rest of their lives and to talk to their GP about how they wanted to be treated and cared for at the end of their life, a process known as advance care planning.

AMA Queensland's digital campaign featured Queensland doctors and their patients. The videos included Oakey GP Dr John Hall with 99-year-old Merle McCoist and her daughter Dianne Reed, as well as Townsville palliative medicine specialist Dr Will Cairns and Brisbane GP Dr Richard Kidd.

AMA Queensland also realeased a discussion paper on end of life care, as Part 5 of its Health Vision series.

AMA Queensland Health Hub

AMA Queensland began its free mobile Health Hubs in 2015 to one in five Queenslanders do no see a GP every year. The Health Hub is a free health check held at various locations across Queensland where doctors are present to check people's blood pressure, weight BMI and lung function.

These are simple tests that people should have regularly to make sure they are not at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or other chronic illnesses. The aim of the health hubs is to support Queenslanders becoming healthier and enjoying a better quality of life. The health hubs build stronger relationships between patients, GPs and local medical providers and act as a gateway to the wider health system.

The recent Health Hub held at Hervey Bay showed incredible support for the initiative with 100% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that having the health hub at your local market is beneficial to them. Furthermore, 90% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that having the health hubs at your local market has encouraged them to get regular GP check-ups. Only 4 respondents were neutral to this question. Supporting comments including 'It was good and the doctor was pleasant', 'Thank you! Makes you think!', 'Excellent promotion for the local people'.

If you are wanting the Health Hub to visit your area please contact Leif Bremermann, Senior Policy Advisor, l.bremermann@amaq.com.au

Suicide Watch

At least one Queenslander a day commits suicide and the 'Suicide Watch' initiative was launched to urge anyone having trouble seeing a way forward to see or phone their GP for urgent help. This campaign was launched in reponse to concerns for the mental health of Queenslanders following Queensland's floods and Cyclone Yasi.

On average, seven Australians die by suicide each day. It's the leading cause of death for men and women under the age of 34. A survey of AMA Queensland members found just over half (51%) of doctors believed the main reason people with a mental health issue didn’t seek assistance was because they were reluctant to admit they had a problem.

To mark the launch of its ‘Suicide Watch’ campaign, AMA Queensland enlisted the help of members to develop an emotive television clip, featuring GPs and other medical professionals, encouraging Queenslanders in need to make contact with their family doctor.

It is hoped that every Queenslander who watches this clip will pass it on to family and friends sparking conversations across the state. We want all those who need help to receive it.

Please pass on this clip to as many people as you can. Together we can save someone's life.

For support and information about mental health and suicide prevention:Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au.

See the signs

Following further floods that hit Queensland, AMA Queensland relaunched its highly successful 'See the Signs' campaign which was developed following the 2011 natural disasters.

An AMA Queensland survey following the floods in 2011 found 31 per cent of Ipswich residents were very concerned about the mental health of family and friends. Also almost 60 per cent of doctors had seen or expected to see a spike in mental health cases.

AMA Queensland developed a pre-emptive strategy to help everyone recognise the symptoms of psychological distress and avert any further distress, and, with the support of Queensland Health, relaunched its poster and radio campaign to help people 'See the Signs'.

There are seven signs to help indicate whether a person is having difficulty.

1. Complaints of continued poor sleep with ongoing nightmares.2. Observations a person is easily overwhelmed, tearful or fragile.3. The use of drugs or alcohol to suppress intense emotions or to try and achieve sleep.4. A pattern of withdrawing from family and friends and not engaging in day-to-day discussions that generally allow people to slowly debrief.5. Problems performing at work such as struggling to concentrate on the job at hand.6. Startling easily and declining inviations for social engagements and other usually pleasurable activities.7. Increased or unreasonable irritability with family, workmates or friends.

Misuse of Medicare Provider Numbers

Did you know you could be personally liable for the misuse of your Medicare Provider Number in the event of a Medicare Audit?

AMA Queensland is concerned not all Medicare billing in Queensland Health hospitals complies with Medicare rules. If your Provider Number is used incorrectly, you will be personally liable. The National Health Reform Agreement and the Health Insurance Act 1973 provide that Medicare benefits can only be claimed for services provided in public hospitals where a doctor is exercising a right of private practice and proper Medicare billing rules are followed. Queensland Health doctors whose Medicare Provider Numbers are used to bulk-bill Medicare under Options A, B, P and R, and in Acute Primary Care Clinics, will be personally liable for the misuse of their Medicare Provider Number in the event of a Medicare audit.

The Rules

If doctors participate in these schemes, the following rules must be followed. If a Medicare benefit is claimed the following records must be kept in case of an audit:

Patient's Name

Medicare Item Number

Date of service

Full description of service

The fee of each service

Hospitals should provide records to doctors so that they can see how their provider number is being used - doctors need to check these records for accuracy.

Only treatment you provide on request can be bulk-billed

In order to qualify for a Medicare benefit, a medical service must be rendered by or on behalf of a medical practitioner (including clinical testing and radiology)

Treatment of public and bulk-billed patients must be separated

Public and private (including bulk-billed) treatment must be clearly separated within public hospital by either:

Space - For example, Acute Primary Care Clinics must be clearly physically demarcated from Emergency Departments and this must be clearly signed; or

Time - For example, a medical practitioner must not bull Medicare for seeing a private patient in the same practice session as the practitioner is being paid exclusively to deliver services to public patients.

Doctors In Training

Certain procedures* provided by a docotr in training may be billed on the supervisor's Medicare Provider Number as long as:

The supervisor is exervising a right of private practice;

The doctor in training is in a training program with a medical college; and

The supervisor is present at all times while the trainee provides the medical services.

For all other services, supervisors may only bill for the time they spend with patients or the services they provide themselves.

Need Help?

If you are being asked to participate in bulk-billing activity and would like advice or to find out more, please contact our Workplace Relations Team on (07) 2872 2222 or email workplacerelations@amaq.com.au. You may also contact Medicare directly for general advice on 132 150.